Athlete{40 s foots preventive device

ABSTRACT

A device for preventing athlete&#39;&#39;s foot or other eczema is provided which operates with the walking motion of the user&#39;&#39;s feet and includes bellows units adapted to be arranged beneath the plantar arches of his feet. The bellows units are each operable to expand and contract as the user&#39;&#39;s heel rises and falls and thus eject air into the interior of the shoe through orifices formed in the walls of the unit. Such ejection of air causes air flows in the shoe interior effectively to prevent any accumulation of moisture or temperature therein.

United States Patent 1191 Terasaki 1451 Aug. 28, 1973 ATHLETE'S FOOTSPREVENTIVE DEVICE [76] Inventor: Suetsugu Terasakl, 1-11-13, Tenjin,

Fukuoka, Japan 22 Filed: Apr. 19,1972

21 App1.No.: 245,477

[52] US. Cl. 36/3 B, 128/588 [51] Int. Cl A43b 7/06 [58] Field of Search128/588; 36/3 B, 36/3 R, 76 R, 8.1

[56} References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 747,994 12/1903 Mayer et a1128/588 3,331,146 7/1967 Karras.... 36/3 R 2,075,229 3/1937 Rose 36/8.11,962,822 6/1934 Krakau 36/3 B 2,765,545 10/1956 Conrad 128/588 PrimaryExaminer-Patrick D. Lawson Attomey-Vern L. Oldham et a1.

[ ABSTRACT A device for preventing athletes foot or other eczema isprovided which operates with the walking motion of the users feet andincludes bellows units adapted to be arranged beneath the plantar archesof his feet. The bellows units are each operable to expand and contractas the user's heel rises and falls and thus eject air into the interiorof the shoe through orifices formed in the walls of the unit. Suchejection of air causes air flows in the shoe interior effectively toprevent any accumulation of moisture or temperature therein.

2 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 28, 1973 3,754,339

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Aug. 28,1973 7 3,754,339

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATHLETES FOOTS PREVENTIVE DEVICE This invention relatesto devices for preventing athletes foot or other eczema usually causedon feet, as they often get stuffy in shoes and is intended to form airflows in shoes thereby effectively to prevent any accumulation ofmoisture or temperature around the feet therein.

Sweating or skin respiration of foot skin usually causes accumulation ofmoisture within shoes worn thereon and thus causes the feet to get ormusty stuffy. This phenomenon is remarkable particularly between toes,frequently causing offensive skin diseases including athletes foot orother eczema. In order to prevent such phenomenon it is necessary toprevent any stagnation of moisture or temperature within the shoessurrounding feet.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a deviceincluding bellows unit which are interposed between the users feet andshoes worn thereon and operable with the foot motion during walking tocause air flows in the interior of the shoes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the kinddescribed which includes bellows units operable to draw in external airand eject it into the shoe interior and thus servable not only to causeair flows therein but also to force out any moist air present to theoutside of the shoes so that the air therein may always be kept fresh.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of thekind described which includes means for conducting air to particularlocations around feet as it is ejected from the bellows for the purposeof positively assisting the formaton of air flows in local places wheremoisture is particularly liable to collect.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide for each of thebellows units an air inlet port enabling it to inhale air at all timesin an efficient manner, to provide for each bellows unit an air inlettube arranged in a position not to be affected by the walking motion ofthe users foot in any undesirable manner and thus enabling the bellowsto act positively to inhale external air, and to provide means forattaching the bellows units to the underside of the plantar arches ofthe users feet or for arranging the same in shoes in a predeterminedposition to lie under the plantar arch of the respective foot.

To attain these objects, the present invention provides an athletes footpreventive device which includes bellows units formed of appropriateelastic sheet material such as relatively thick rubber or flexiblesynthetic resin sheet material and capable of maintaining their ownshape in the free state but elastically deformable under external force,said bellows units being comprised each of a bottom section and agenerally hillshaped top section having a top contour substantiallyconforming to the plantar arch of human foot and defining together withthe bottom section an interior space large enough to fill the spaceformed between the plantar arch and the top sole surface of the shoe puton the foot when the users heel is raised therein. Such bellows unitsare made in a right-and-left symmetrical pair for use on right and leftfeet. Also, two bellows unit of the pair are each formed with an airinlet port or aperture including non-return valve means in those slopedinside walls of the respective top sections which face each other whensuch bellows units are arranged under the plantar arches of the usersfeet.

Also, the bellows units are each provided with an air inlet tube whichis connected at its base end to the air inlet port of the unit forcommunication with the interior space thereof and can be led along theinside wall of the shoe substantially to reach the top opening thereofthrough which the users foot is inserted, thereby anabling the bellowsunit to inhale external air with efficiency.

A multitude of small air orifices are formed through the peripheralwalls of the bellows units as well as through the walls of tubular airconduits extending from the unit bodies in communication with theinterior space therein.

The bellows units described above may be made for use as an attachmentto respective feet with the provision of appropriate extensible stringor lace means or be formed on respective base plates adapted to bearranged in shoes on the top sole surface thereof.

In either case, the device of the invention is arranged in the shoesbetween the plantar arch of the users feet and the top sole surface ofthe shoes and each time when his heels are raised in walking, theassociated bellows unit restores its free or original shape to inhaleair. On the other hand, when his heel is lowered the bellows unit iscompressed to eject the air previously held in its interior spacethrough the air orifices directly to the outside of the unit or throughthe intermediary of the tubular air conduits to required locations suchas between the toes so that the air in the shoe is effectively disturbedand replaced by external fresh air.

The present invention will now be described in further detail inconnection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a fewpractical embodiments of the invention and in which:

FIG. I is a plan view of an eczema preventive device embodying thepresent invention and designed for attachment to feet;

FIG. 2 is an explanatory side view showing one half set of the device ofFIG. I as attached to the right foot, looking from the left-hand sidethereof;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken through the line 3-3 inFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional elevation showing one half set of anathlete's foot preventive device of the sole type embodying the presentinvention and taken through the line 3-4 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of same;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken through the line 6-6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross section taken through the line 7-7 in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a cross section taken through the line 8-8 in FIG. 5.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the device comprises a pair of right and leftbellows units of symmetrical configuration and formed of elastic sheetmaterial. Each of the bellows units is comprised of a top section 2having a top contour substantially conforming to the plantar arch of one'5 foot and a bottom section 3 and can maintain its own shape in thefree state. The top section 2 is generally hill-shaped, definingtogether with the bottom section 3 an interior space 4 large enough tofill the space formed between the plantar arch of the users foot and thetop sole surface of the shoe worn thereon when the users heel is raised.The bottom section 3, formed of elastic sheet material similar to thatof the top section, is joined to the latter along the periphery thereofand has a flattened downwardly convex spherical shape in the free state.

As clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the bellows units are each providedwith an air inlet port opening through the sloped side wall of the topsection 2 which faces the corresponding side wall of the top section ofthe other unit when the units are arranged under feet. Provided inassociation with the air let port 5 is a nonreturn valve comprising aflap diaphragm 5' as shown. An air inlet tube 6 is secured at its baseend to the air inlet port 5 in communication with the interior space 4of the bellows unit and is formed of a flexible but hardly collapsibletubular material, having an appropriate length to enable its upper orfree end to be led to the top opening of the shoe.

A multitude of small air orifices 7 are formed in the peripheral wallsof the bellows unit.

The bellows units IR and IL are each fitted with an extensible string 8such as a rubberized band so that the user may be readily attach themthe plantar arches before he puts on the shoes. It is to be noted thatthe air inlet tubes 6 are each led to the top opening 10 of the shoe,passing between the inside face of his foot 1 1 and the adjacent shoewall.

When the user walks with shoes 9 put over the device of the invention,fitted directly to his feet as described above, each time his heels areraised the bellows units are allowed to restore their original shapeshown in FIGS. 2 and 3 by the solid lines thereby to inhale air throughthe non-return valves. On the other hand, each time his heels arelowered the units are compressed as indicated in these figures by thedotted lines and eject air to the spaces around his feet through the airorifices 7 to cause air flows in the shoes. In the illustratedembodiment, the air inlet tube 6 provided in connection with the airinlet port enables the bellows unit efficiently to inhale fresh air fromoutside so that any moist air formed in the shoes can be positivelyreplaced by the fresh external air. The provision of air inlet tubes 6is particularly advantageous in cases where the device is used withboots, rain shoes or other high shoes.

The air inlet port 5, being provided in the sloped inside wall of thetop section 1, is at all times positioned apart from the foot sole,enabling free inhaling action of the bellows unit. Also, the air inlettube 6 can function free from any undesirable influences of the footmotion as it is led along the inside of the foot, which is always spacedfrom the adjacent shoe wall.

The bellows units can also be made in the form shown in FIGS. 4 to 8.

As seen in these figures, the top section of the bellows unit 101 isformed on a base plate 103 adapted to be placed on the top sole surfaceof the shoe and in a position to face the planar arch of the users foot.The top section 102 is generally hill-shaped having a top contoursubstantially conforming to the plantar arch of the users foot and inthe free state defines a large interior space 104 in the unit togetherwith a bottom section thereof which is formed as a part of the baseplate 103. Thus, when the users heel is raised in the shoe for walking,the top section 102 can expand to fill the space formed between the shoesole and the foot, keeping contact with the plantar arch thereof.Numeral 105 indicates an air inlet port formed in the sloped insideportion of the top section 102 of the unit and provided with anon-return valve, for example, in the form of a valve diaphragm 105'.

In this embodiment, the base plate 103 is so shaped as to extend overthe entire sole surfaces of the users foot along the planar top surfaceof the shoe sole and carries a tubular air conduit 1 13 which extendsthrough the space formed between the top surface of the plate and theusers foot and is at all times communicating with the interior space 104of the bellows unit. The air conduit 113 thus arranged on the base platealong the foot periphery includes a transversely extending portion orconduit 113a lying between the shoe sole and the root portions of thetoes. This arrangement gives no discomfort to the users foot and thedevice with such arrangement can be employed without causing the user tofeel uneasy about the presence of such device in his shoes.

Also, in this embodiment, the tubular air conduits 113 and 113a arecontinuously formed by raising the extended marginal portion of theelastic sheet forming the top section 102 and are adhesively closelyjoined on opposite sides to the top surface of the base plate 103 inairtight relation thereto in the same manner as the peripheral edges ofthe top section 102.

As in the previous embodiment, a multitude of air oriflces 107 areformed in the peripheral portion of the top section 102 and in the wallof the air conduit 113 at appropriate locations thereon. Thetransversely extending conduit portion 1 13a, lying under the toe roots,is formed with a multitude of air orifices 107a opening toward the gapsbetween the toes.

When the user, who wears shoes having the base plates 3 arranged on theshoe soles, raises his heels for walking, the top section 102 of thebellows unit 101 expands to restore its original shape, as shown in FIG.4 by the solid lines, and inhales air. On the other hand, when the heelis lowered, the top section is compressed as indicated by the dottedlines and ejects air around the foot through air orifices 107 whilepositively causing air flows in locations as between toes where moistureor temperature is liable to collect.

It will be obvious that the bellows units 10] described above canreadily be provided with an air inlet tube 106 like the one in theprevious embodiment.

While the invention has been shown in a few preferred forms, it isobvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but issusceptible of various changes and modifications without departing fromits spirit and scope of the claimed invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An athlete s foot preventive device comprising bellows units eachcomprised of a base plate adapted to be arranged on the top sole surfaceof the shoe and a gen erally hill-shaped top section formed of anelastic sheet material enabling the section to maintain its own shape inthe free state and having a top contour to fit the plantar arch of theusers foot, defining together with a bottom section formed of a portionof said base plate an interior space large enough to fill the spaceformed between the foot sole and the top sole surface of the shoe asworn on the users foot when the users heel is raised, an air inlet portformed in the sloped inside portion of said top section and having anon-retum valve means, a tubular air conduit formed on said base platein a position to extend along the periphery of the users foot and incommunication with the interior space of the respective bellows unit,and a multitude of small air orifices formed through the peripheral wallof said top 3,754,339 r 6 section of said bellows unit and through thewall of said under the roots of the users toes and having small airtubular orifices opened to eject air toward the spaces between 2. Anathlete 5 foot preventive device as claimed in claim 1 in which saidtubular air conduit includes a portion formed to extend transverselythrough the space 5 the toes.

1. An athlete''s foot preventive device comprising bellows units eachcomprised of a base plate adapted to be arranged on the top sole surfaceof the shoe and a generally hill-shaped top section formed of an elasticsheet material enabling the section to maintain its own shape in thefree state and having a top contour to fit the plantar arch of theuser''s foot, defining together with a bottom section formed of aportion of said base plate an interior space large enough to fill thespace formed between the foot sole and the top sole surface of the shoeas worn on the user''s foot when the user''s heel is raised, an airinlet port formed in the sloped inside portion of said top section andhaving a non-return valve means, a tubular air conduit formed on saidbase plate in a position to extend along the periphery of the user''sfoot and in communication with the interior space of the respectivebellows unit, and a multitude of small air orifices formed through theperipheral wall of said top section of said bellows unit and through thewall of said tubular air conduit.
 2. An athlete''s foot preventivedevice as claimed in claim 1 in which said tubular air conduit includesa portion formed to extend transversely through the space under theroots of the user''s toes and having small air orifices opened to ejectair toward the spaces between the toes.